Russian lethal attacks bombard Kharkiv; Ukraine repatriates remains of 1,212 soldiers
In an unfortunate turn of events, Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv bore the brunt of fresh Russian attacks early Wednesday, leading to the death of three people and injuries to 64, including nine children. As Russia escalates its relentless assault, it's pushing forward with record numbers of drone and missile strikes, following three years of daily bombardments.
The city of Kharkiv, just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, has been a frequent target. Mayor Igor Terekhov shared on Telegram that 17 strikes by enemy drones occurred in two districts of the city during the previous night. Oleg Synegubov, the regional governor, confirmed the fatalities. AFP journalists in the city reported seeing damaged buildings, charred cars, and streets littered with debris following the attack.
Olena Khoruzheva, a 41-year-old pharmacist, described her harrowing account - she shielded her children as she heard incoming drones. "The younger one lay on the floor, hands on his head. I was on top of him," she shared with AFP. "We heard it approaching, silence, and then we were thrown against the wall ... there were more explosions, then we heard people shouting 'Help! Help!'" Her 65-year-old neighbor was one of the fatalities.
Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired 85 drones overnight, a decrease from recent nights. On the front line, Moscow's troops have been advancing steadily. The Russian defense ministry claimed that more units crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday, launching an offensive for the first time during its 40-month-long invasion.
US President Donald Trump has been encouraging both sides to reach a peace deal, but progress has been limited. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for increased Western sanctions on Russia to restrain its war-waging capacity. He is expected to press this message with Trump and other European leaders at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, which kicks off on Sunday.
Although two rounds of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have failed to reach a breakthrough, the two sides agreed to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners of war and return the bodies of deceased soldiers. Despite Russia's repeated accusations that Ukraine hesitated to collect dead soldiers' bodies, Ukraine reported on Wednesday that Russia had handed over the corpses of 1,212 soldiers.
Ukraine has retaliated against Moscow's attacks with its own drone strikes. Russian defense ministry reported that it had intercepted 32 Ukrainian drones overnight. Both sides seem skeptical about any significant progress from talks in Istanbul, with Zelensky formerly dismissing the Russian delegation as "empty heads" and accusing them of being unable to agree on a ceasefire.
Politics and general news continue to be dominated by war-and-conflicts, with Ukraine's war-torn northeastern city of Kharkiv remaining a frequent target in escalating conflicts between Ukraine and Russia. As the conflict pushes forward, President Donald Trump encourages both sides to reach a peace deal, while President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes the need for increased Western sanctions on Russia to restrain its war-waging capacity. Despite two rounds of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine failing to reach a breakthrough, both sides have agreed to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners of war and return the bodies of deceased soldiers, acknowledging the need for resolution in the ongoing war-and-conflicts.
